The present invention relates to fishing reels, and in particular to an improved fishing reel including an apparatus for indicating paying out of line from the fishing reel. The fishing reel has a substantially stationary spool upon which the fishing line is wound or from which the fishing line is unwound during fishing operations.
It is often useful for an angler to know the amount of line which is out during fishing operations. Such information is useful for determining the distance the line has been cast or the depth of the water in which the line is deployed. It is useful to be able to determine the amount of line deployed either in meters or in yards or feet.
It is particularly useful for an angler to be able to employ such an apparatus for determining the amount of line deployed at night or in other low-light conditions.
It is also useful for such a fishing reel to have a work light which may be aimed to illuminate selected areas in order to facilitate night fishing operations. Such a work light should preferably be cool burning and emit no infrared-band light which would impair the angler's night vision.